Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.   Nobel prize winning physician Albert Szent-Györgyi, as quoted by Roger von Oech

Being able to think creatively is a gift we can give to our children. Creativity is important, not just for artists, writers, songwriters, and web site developers, but for parents, politicians, managers, and salespeople. Whatever roles our children grow into, creative thinking will help them to make the most of those roles. Creative thinking opens up new avenues and helps people find new and better ways of doing things.

Encouraging creativity in young children is not difficult. Toddlers and preschoolers haven't yet learned the way things are "supposed" to be, so they aren't inhibited from creative thinking. The best thing you can do at this age is to stand back and let their creativity express itself. Preschoolers often express creativity with unconventional behavior; it's hard to resist saying, "No, that's not the way to do it." My son went through a phase where he insisted on wearing unmatched socks. I bit my tongue and let him do it, just happy that he was putting on his socks himself. I wondered what his preschool teacher must have thought, but I figured his creative expression was more important than my embarrassment.

School age children have begun to learn the way the world works and how to reason logically, so as they get older, their creative thinking is more inhibited. Older children are also concerned with their peers, and there is a strong pressure towards conformity. Conformity inhibits creativity, because it makes it difficult to see things in a new and different way. In his book, A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative, Roger von Oech talks about the mental locks which prevent us from being creative, such as thinking we have to find the right answer, and trying not to look foolish. While his book is aimed at adults, it is during the school years that these mental locks are ingrained into us.

These school age children may need a little extra help to be creative. Encourage any efforts at creativity, no matter how small, and try not to ridicule or reject their creative expressions. This can be difficult if they express their creativity in clothing, hairstyles, or food, but they need to have some latitude to try different things within the boundaries that you set. You can also actively encourage creativity by encouraging them to find creative solutions to problems at school or at home. Instead of suggesting a solution to their problems, ask questions to get them thinking.

Playing games is another way to encourage creativity. My son and I love to play Roger von Oech's "What If" game. We take turns asking "What if" followed by an unconventional, strange, or unexpected supposition. Then we try to answer the question. Some of the questions we've come up with are: "What if our houses were underground?" "What if we had 8 legs and 4 faces, one on each side?" "What if the earth were square?" and "What if sidewalks were bouncy so that you didn't get hurt when you fell down?"

I think that our efforts at nurturing creativity may be paying off. The other day, while my husband and I were finishing dinner, my four-year old son built a model of himself out of a blanket, a pillow, blocks, and other odds and ends. I was amazed when I saw it - I would never have thought to suggest such a thing. I hope that he will continue to be able to think creatively through the school years and beyond. Creativity is an asset that will help in whatever he decides to do with his life. With creativity, he can help to build a world that I can't possibly dream of.